Notes / Commercial Description:
John Smith’s bitter, which is still going strong, is a malty, bitter sweet ale with a slight fruitiness and a bitter aftertaste – we probably took the words right out of your mouth. John Smith’s Original can be enjoyed in cans at home (3.6% ABV), plus there’s the Cask Ale available on the bar (3.8% ABV).

John Smith's Bitter (JSB) is undoubtedly the most supreme of all beers. Some say that God drinks it. I'll tell you why. JSB has smooth, creamy feel with of course that 'taste of Yorkshire' praised by the great Winston Churchill himself. Its delightful golden colour can be likened to piss although its taste is the exact opposite (not shit - see review on Guiness). The alcohol percentage of 3.8% is ideal and complements the taste like no other alcohol percentage. All in all, JSB is the Pint of Champions. We fucking love John Smith's Bitter. Long live the king.

A: Pours a clear copper color with about an inch of off white head that sticks around nicely. A few small spots of lacing are left behind as the head recedes to a thin cap.

S: Kind of an odd smelling beer, a little bit of sulfur, and some caramel malts. A bit of wet dog in there too. As it warms it smells a bit better, but again just a malty, kind of odd smelling beer.

T: Light with a touch of caramel and a touch of roasted barley in there as well. Very subtle. Slightly sweet, quite grainy, and quite light. Just a touch of bitterness in the finish. Slightly smoky as well. Pretty watery, but not bad by any means.

M: Light body, light carbonation, finish is dry and clean.

O: Not a bad session beer, I could easily drink this all night. Its not insanely flavorful, but its way nicer than drinking a light adjunct lager.

I had this with an Italian dinner in the New Forest. A typical bitter, but slightly above average. Served with a short head (to make sure you get the full pint), which quickly disappeared. A sweet malt smell, medium body, average color. I tasted hardly any carbonation, but it was quite drinkable.

Had this some years ago and I seem to remember it as much better. Poured with a light tan, foamy, frothy, fluffy, textured head and lots of lace. Color is a very clear dark copper. Aroma is a little funky and hints of sulfhur. Some malt and hop. Flavors about the same. Certainly nothing special. Body's ok, carbonation is overdone. John Smith why hast thou forsaken me? Finish isn't too bad.

I bought this beer in Germany along with a trusty Newcastle as an escape from the many German pilseners that dominate the German beer market. Boy, what a mistake.

Initially I was all for the beer, as it poured a nice dark amber/brown color with a nice, thick, off-white head. Smell was somewhat floral and grassy, nothing amazing, but nothing bad, either. The Germans I was dining with didn't particularly seen to enjoy the fragrance, though. I should've taken that as a sign.

As soon as I put the beer into my mouth, I couldn't believe the disappointment. The sweet malt character did not meld well with the bitterness at all, and the overall taste was nothing less than rotting vegetables. I wasn't even able to finish the beer.

Perhaps I just got a bad batch, or the can killed it, or my taste buds just weren't adjusted to it after so many German pilseners. That seems unlikely, though, as I had also been enjoying Altbier, Weizenbier, Doppelbock, Schwarzbier, and even more styles during a stint in Scandanavia. Therefore I must say that this beer, to me at least, was absolute rubbish.

Poured from a 440mL can at a business class lounge in Heathrow airport. The beer was brilliant clear and copper colored, with a white sticky froth leaving some nice lacing on the glass. The smell was a little caramel, not much hops in the aroma. The taste was smooth, with little carbonation, caramel malty but with a just barely detectable bitter after-taste. The mouthfeel was very nice, it felt like a cask ale even out of the can, very easy to drink again and again I'm sure. It's just that I won't probably see it in the States.

Pours a fairly deep reddish-copper with a reasonably thick off-white head that is fairly small, but lasts well and leaves plenty of lacing. Smell is fairly faint, with caramel and some butter showing. Taste, on the other hand, is quite full and rather idiosyncratic. It seems to me to be caramel and strong licorice, bordering on medicinal, but not at all unpleasant. Bitter for sure, and with a very unique character, I can see how someone wouldn't like it, but I rather do. Mouthfeel is decent, quite rich and with good carbonation, and drinkability is average. One of a kind, in my experience. I've never had anything quite like it, and I think it's reasonably good.

Originally reviewed February 19, 2005. 33cl Nitro-can. Decent rich brown amber pour, with copious white head and great lacing. Absolutely watery and lacking any true depth, hardly any flavor. I will admit that I have don't have much like for bitters, but this one should not be drunk, for almost any reason.

Clear, dark amber with a very dense, long-lasting head (almost like pancake batter). The aroma is mostly malty, although it's still pretty mild. No detectable fruitiness and just a bit of floral hops. Flavour balance is definitely bitter, with very mild floral hop flavour and light biscuity malt presence. Still, it's a little timid overall. Very light carbonation, medium/light body.

This beer poured more of a dark golden color with a hint of ruby to it. It had a Guinness-like cascade to the head. Similarly to Guinness, the head adheared to the sides of the glass all the way down. The aroma was pretty non-descipt: inhale deeply enough and you got a twinge of malts and hops. The taste wasn't much better. Somewhat bitter, but not too much malt at all. No malt sweetness either. Of my week in England, this was the worst one that I had.